If you don’t nip a lie in the bud, it grows to be a tree. This is what has happened to the nationalist mythology perpetuated by General Zia. I don’t like wasting my weekly space in Daily Times to argue it out with specific lies of specific authors – which is why I tend to record my dissent here on PTH.

In his article today in Daily Times, Shahid Illyas, the self professed Pakhtun Nationalist and “secularist”, has reproduced the severally debunked and illogical arguments of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other Mullahs in Pakistan to bolster his own indefensible positions vis a vis Bacha Khan and Faqir of Ipi. Mr. Illyas is not bothered with the utter bankruptcy of his argument so long as he gets to abuse Jinnah and the Pakistan Movement. He is also unconcerned what his half truths would do to the cause of secularism. Like Ishtiaq Ahmed (and scores of other spent forces in our history ala Aga Shorish Kashmiri) he is seized with an irrational hatred for Jinnah, Sir Syed and the secular liberal leadership that Pakistan jettisoned – primarily through 1969’s education policy that specifically sought to down play Sir Syed’s and Jinnah’s modernity because it did not gel with the demands of Yahya’s political expediency. It is ironic that while Illyas criticizes Pakistan’s poor education system, he quotes Pakistan’s official narrative as the gospel truth.

Frankly I am tired of correcting half baked lies. Besides I have too much work to afford this luxury. For those who are interested in an honest discussion on partition or interested in responding to Shahid Illyas’ half baked piece – which has to be amongst the top 10 most ridiculous pieces on the creation of Pakistan- may consult the following articles of mine where I have debunked in detail all, without exception, of the ridiculous notions being peddaled by Mr. Illyas for reasons best known to him and about which I can only conjecture, at best. In my opinion it is a thinly veiled apologia for the bigots of Deoband and other Mullah fascist types who opposed the creation of Pakistan and who are today mainly responsible for the Islamist threat that Pakistan faces.

These are just some of the articles I have written in recent times on these issues which may shed better light on the half truths being peddaled by our current Islamo-fascist superimposed state structure as well as those like Shahid Illyas who use the state’s lies to their own ends.